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A tall woman walked to the desk at the front of the room. "Beautiful day, Students," she said. Her white teeth flashed against her dark face as she smiled. "Welcome to 'Raising the Future,' our parenting class for hopeful couples. I'm Teacher Ibarna, and I'm here to show you everything you need to know about raising children. Remember, the Empire trusts you to study hard and learn well!"

"Yes, Teacher Ibarna," Jelnora said along with the other students. How hard could it be, after all? She'd passed both her First Form and Second Form childcare units.

Author's Notes

This story came out of the April 13, 2010 Muse Fusion. It was inspired by prompts from Valdary and Comtessa. The parenting courses, like reproductive and child licenses, are a major part of Southern culture. Here you get to see the process in action.